Colby's POV
I didn't mean to tell Julia how I felt. I didn't even really realize I meant it until I yelled it.
I loved her.
Part of me knew that I had never stopped loving her for even a second but the other part of me pushed it down.
I had been down this road before and I refused to go down it again.
I was already falling for the traps everyone was setting.
I couldn't help but put her first because deep down I knew I loved her. She was the only girl I had ever told that to, and she was the only girl who could make me fall to my knees.
Seeing her reaction killed me though.
How she begged me to take it back, and told me to stop talking.
She looked like she was going to throw up or pass out before the intruders started attacking.
Fuck.
I needed to stop thinking about Julia and start thinking about how the fuck they found us.
Only a handful of people knew this house even existed. Nobody knew we were here right now.
It didn't make any sense as to how they would know exactly where we were.
They had to have some sort of tracker on us. That was the only way it would make sense.
"Pull over." I said, causing Julia to look over at me. "Are you gonna be sick?" She asked as I shook my head.
"No, just pull over." I said as she sighed and started to pull onto the shoulder.
"Why are we pulling over?" She asked as I got out of the car. "They must have put a tracking device on us." I explained and got out of the car.
I had put enough pressure on my wound to slow the bleeding down while I was sitting but when I stood up it started gushing again.
"Fucking hell." I grumbled, wincing at the pain. "Shouldn't we get you fixed up?" Julia asked as I started going through our bags.
"I've dealt with worse for longer." I mumbled and grabbed her bag.
"What are you doing?!" She hissed with annoyance. "The only way those guys could have found us is if they planted a tracker." I explained, rummaging through her stuff, looking for anything.
"How would they even do that?" Julia asked and crossed her arms, watching me.
"I don't...wait." I said and looked up at her. "What?" She asked with so much innocence my heart sank.
"It's in your leg." I said causing her to frown. "How do you know?" She asked and took a step back from the car.
"It's the only way they could have hid something and it would explain why they shot you to begin with." I said and pulled out my knife.
"What are you gonna do?" She asked with a hint of fear.
"I have to cut it out." I said and moved her bag so she could sit. The look on her face broke my heart.
She had been through so much and I could tell she was scared. I was actually surprised she hasn't freaked out about killing those guys yet.
She wasn't one to be a heartless killer.
"I'll be gentle." I said and patted on the seat. Julia didn't say anything. She just frowned and sat down, propping her leg up.
I gently rolled her pant leg up then sliced the stitches where the bullet hit her.
"Fuck." Julia hissed, her eyes instantly filling with tears.
"Here." I said and offered her my hand so she could squeeze it. I expected her to deny it so I was pleasantly surprised when she took it, holding it tightly.
Once her leg was cut open, I spread the skin, looking into the cut.
"Please stop." Julia whispered, closing her eyes against the pain.
I shook my head and focused, digging for only a couple seconds before I pulled out a small piece of metal which looked almost like a computer chip.
"Found it." I said as Julia opened her eyes. "How does that even work?" She asked and looked at the small piece of metal.
"Some really insane technology." I said and examined the tracker.
"We'll stitch this back up when we get to the hotel." I said then threw the tracker into the woods.
"I'll drive the rest of the way." I said with assurance, then stood up straight.
"You're still bleeding." Julia mumbled as I nodded.
"Yeah, I'll be alright. Try to put pressure on your leg." I said and helped her stand.
"I don't need your help." She mumbled as I nodded. "I know." I said then helped her get in the car.
Julia had always been headstrong, not taking any shit from anyone.
She was stronger now and more determined to be independent. I could understand that considering how her childhood was and then the fact that she became a single mother of four kids in a short period of time.
I understood how headstrong she was but she needed to understand that while I was with her, I would take care of her.
We drove for twenty more minutes before I pulled into the parking lot of a hotel.
It wasn't the nicest hotel ever, but it was going to be just fine for us.
"We're gonna get the police called on us because we are covered in blood." Julia said as I reached back.
"I'm gonna wear my jacket and they won't see your leg when we are at the desk." I explained and grabbed my leather jacket, putting it on.
"Let's go." I said then got out the car. I grabbed both of our bags and slung them over my shoulder.
When we got inside we went to the front desk where there was a woman working.
"Hi, how can I help you?" She asked as I sighed. "Do you have anything available? Any price." I said as she hummed and looked at the computer.
"Two beds if possible." Julia said quietly. "We only have one room available. It only has one bed though. A king sized. Is that alright?" She asked and looked up at us.
I felt Julia deflate slightly next to me at those words. "That's fine." She said quietly as I grabbed my credit card.
We went through the check in process then quickly made our way up to the room so we could get cleaned up.
The room was on the smaller side with just one bed, two side tables, a dresser, and a desk.
"How are we supposed to clean up our wounds? We don't have a first aid kit or anything." Julia said and sat in the desk chair.
"No, you don't have a first aid kit." I said and put my bag on the bed, rummaging through it.
I always kept a first aid kit and suture kit on me in case of something like this happening.
I pulled out the kits then sat on the ground in front of Julia so I could clean her leg up.
"Do you have Tylenol?" Julia asked as I started cleaning. "Yeah, you want some?" I asked, focusing on the wound.
I was of course worried about her addiction, but she knew her boundaries. I couldn't deny of her pain medication after I just dug through her leg.
"Yeah." She said with a sigh, gripping onto the chair for dear life.
"Okay, let me get this done then I'll get it." I mumbled and focused.
I tried to be as gentle as possible, but she was still in so much pain.
"Okay, you're officially patched back up." I said and stood up.
"Thanks." Julia mumbled. "There doesn't need to be this awkward tension, ya know." I said and grabbed the Tylenol for her.
"There's no tension." She said and took the pill from me. "Always so stubborn." I said with a laugh then sat on the bed, reaching for the bottom of my shirt.
I pulled my shirt off and looked at the wound, causing Julia to gasp.
"Colby! That looks really bad." She said and came over.
"It's fine." I assured and started trying to clean it up.
It was at a weird angle so it was going to be really hard to stitch up.
Julia noticed my struggling and grabbed the cotton pad I was using to clean it and started doing it for me.
"Thanks." I said with a sigh as she nodded and focused on my wound.
"Suture kit." She said and held her hand out. "You remember how to do them?" I asked as she nodded.
"Unfortunately." She said then looked up at me. It had been years since she was learning how to give stitches and she really only did it once so I wasn't super confident in her abilities but it was nice that she would try.
I watched as she carefully got everything set up, then started stitching me up.
"I should spit in your cut for what you did to me." She mumbled, focusing on the wound.
"Yeah, I'd deserve it." I said with a small nod. I thought at the time I was making the right choice but after hearing about everything I knew I was wrong.
If we stayed together then we would have probably had our son. I would have taken Julia and her siblings away from all the crime and violence.
We would be living our lives without groups of people constantly being after us.
Julia wouldn't hate me.
We wouldn't be sitting in this hotel room with so much tension around us that you could cut it with a knife.
I made a mistake when I left her and I would never forgive myself for it.